1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a gearless speed reducer or increaser. In particular, this invention relates to a device that transmits rotational power from an input shaft to an output shaft, so that the second shaft rotates at a greater or lesser speed than the input shaft, using a set of ball bearings, and without using gears.
2. The Prior Art
In traditional devices used to increase or reduce speed, the connection between the input shaft and the output shaft is made through the use of gears. An internal gear on one shaft cooperates with an external gear on the other shaft to transmit the power from one shaft to the other. If the two shafts have different radii, the speed of one shaft will differ from that of the other shaft.
A problem with this arrangement however, is that it is very difficult to create precisely machined gears that have no play between them. This play leads to inaccuracies in the machine in which the shafts are disposed. With operations that require very precise positioning, such as with jewelry making or circuit board operations, the traditional gear-based speed reducers are not optimal.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,033,953, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference, provides a gearless speed reducer or increaser which solves these problems. However, it would be desirable to provide a device of this type which does not require precise manufacturing tolerances.